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They should market these cars better....

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by BellevilleMXZ, Jun 6, 2021.

  1. BellevilleMXZ

    BellevilleMXZ Member

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    You know, as a car guy, Dealer Tech(Mopar), and gearhead , they should really market these better. These are a WAY better car than most people know. Until a few weeks ago, I didn't even know these were available AWD. And they are certainly not an "econobox". I dare say, loaded up they are even a little luxurious. They are quite quiet, comfortable,lots of Tech etc. I'm even surprised how quick they are.

    Guys at work were incredulous when I said I bought one. So, I took it to work one day(its wifes daily) and they were shocked how nice it was inside, and even more shocked how it drove. I drove a couple of older ones years ago, and I thought they were a tin can, and would never buy one unless I HAD to, to save fuel. The wife drove a corolla hybrid also( on salesperson rec. ...i wasn't there) and she didn't like it as much at all. Now I guess you could buy a Spark, or some other tin can, for less money, but with the mileage this gets, I'll take a hard pass. I don't really see a downside to this car really. I guess some many not like the look, but in blue its really looks good. They really should get these cars out there more, advertise some and push some drive comparisons....they could sell way more.
     
  2. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Lonely in Prius love land these days. I think Gen4 looks cool.
    We went with RAV4HV, but might have gone Prius v, which we do not have but you may still have there.
     
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i'm not convinced that toyota has ever wanted to sell these cars in quantity. they have had a seriously bad advertising/market company for over 20 years.
    their other cars/trucks seem to sell themselves by word of mouth, so maybe they are just spoiled.
    but yeah, cheap gas has a lot to do with it. some people buy pri when they have to, others have moved on to rav4 or bev
     
  4. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    It’s difficult when the spotlight is on the next fancy EV.

    I agree that the Prius name does carry a bit of baggage. And it doesn't help that the first 3 generations were just cars that got really good fuel economy and had some cool tech (like the solar roof or Smart Key back in late 2003).

    The current gen just drives so much better. I have the Prime and the suspension is noticeably softer than the 2016 Touring model but the weight balance is much better and it doesn’t wallow like the last two generations we had. My tyres are wearing evenly (both winters and the factory all-seasons) compared to the Gen 3 which had a 61/39 weight balance and the front tyres definitely wore out faster than the rears.
     
  5. MIkeDr

    MIkeDr Active Member

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    In Seattle, Prii are everywhere. I actually didn’t want the AWD-e, but the lease rates on an XLE variety — $289/mo — were too good to pass up last fall. Would’ve preferred the slightly bigger trunk and not have the small hit to mpg. But I do like the better turning radius as compared to the non-AWD-e XLE.
     
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  6. Valiant V

    Valiant V Member

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    I'm with you on the preferring an NON AWD model - in any vehicle.

    Sure, they have their place, but paved roads and normal driving conditions isn't that place.

    Extra drag, more components to wear out, more weight, etc - KISS.

    I'm actually surprised that there are so many Prii here in rural East Texas. "Look! There's another one!" has become a happy cry. Here in the land of F-150's, Round-Up, 4wd, beer cans littering the roadside, and being happy when oil prices go up (oil industry) it's rare to find someone who actually gives a damn about the environment.

    As for the "Marketing" - if these cars pretty much sell themselves and have lots of loyal buyers - is a better marketing effort even needed? I understand that some folks are still paying over sticker for their Prii.....
     
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  7. BellevilleMXZ

    BellevilleMXZ Member

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    Quite a bit under sticker up here in Ontario Canada.....and not selling a lot of them
     
  8. SeattleBebop1

    SeattleBebop1 Active Member

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    I haven't seen too many AWD-e around Seattle, although lots of other Gen 4s. The blue shade is almost as good as my Prime's. :D

    I don't know how my turning radius is compared to other Gen 4s; it's still pretty damn tight although nothing compared to my '03 which was insane, lol.
     
  9. SeattleBebop1

    SeattleBebop1 Active Member

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    This review helped me decide to upgrade from my '03, when he talked about how the car doesn't float around like earlier models and that the double-wishbone suspension provides for a better ride. My '03 indeed floated like a butterfly if I took a turn too fast.

    I've driven my '03 to Canada and Idaho so some pretty damn long road-trips esp. with a weak A.C.....

     
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  10. SeattleBebop1

    SeattleBebop1 Active Member

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    Took a 400 mile round trip to go backpacking with a friend recently, who is the very proud owner of a modded Jeep (rescue kit, whole nine yards for off-roading). He insisted I drive due to gas approaching $4/gal. He was very awed by the MPG and seemed to find the car comfortable, although he is bigger than I am. He talked a lot about wanting to buy an electric Jeep.

    I'm thrilled. I think the Prius has served its job, which is to help introduce people to hybrid / electric / etc. cars, even if they don't think a Prius is cool enough to drive. Yeah, I don't want a truck and wouldn't want to have to struggle for street parking anymore than I already do. But if crazy gas prices and the F-150 Lightning gets people away from sub-12 mpg vehicles? Good.
     
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  11. Valiant V

    Valiant V Member

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    Perhaps things have changed - or are different North of the border.

    The few people I've actually talked to personally about buying a Prius or Prius Prime was that they either were on a waiting list - or were told "that's the price" when they tried to negotiate.

    I'd be willing to bet that the selling price of vehicles that fall at extreme ends of the MPG ratings fluctuate with oil prices. When gas costs $4 a gallon, cars like Prius (and other high MPG ICE cars) can command a higher price due to demand. When gas prices fall - like they did a few months ago - to less than $2 a gallon - you can't give them away. The opposite is true for the gas-guzzlers.

    I've seen a surprisingly large number of Prii here in rural East Texas where Oil is king and gas-guzzling is a badge of honor. It's nice to see that there actually ARE some enlightened folks in the area.
     
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  12. Valiant V

    Valiant V Member

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    I think it's funny that the "proud owner" (of the gas-guzzler) insisted that YOU drive. :p

    I'm generally an optimistic person, but I'll be pleasantly surprised when Ford, GM, or Chrysler (or whatever they're called these days) actually has a hybrid or EV that is a major part of their fleet rather than a token offering. Between them being (still) stuck in the 1960's-70's, and many car buyers being wary about giving up the old, familiar gas burner, I don't see the switch to alternative fuels coming as fast as predicted. People may not "need" a 300+ mile range, but that's gonna be a negative selling point regardless. Another big factor is that the infrastructure isn't there and people won't want to buy a car they can't charge rapidly. For city dwellers without garages or ways to plug in their vehicles at home, the problem is even more of a deterrent to switching from gas to all-electric.
     
  13. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    You really can't lump the Prius and Prius Prime together.
    The Prius Prime is very uncommon in some areas of the country and difficult to find at dealers. While the Prius is pretty ubiquitous almost everywhere.
     
  14. Valiant V

    Valiant V Member

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    Only "lumping" because I've heard those comments about both models.
     
  15. BellevilleMXZ

    BellevilleMXZ Member

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    Interestingly gas is higher here now than it has been for well over a year.....1.33$ L today!! Quite a few of the pri sitting on dealers lots. Who know peoples thoughts......we cant keep full size trucks on the lot.
     
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  16. BellevilleMXZ

    BellevilleMXZ Member

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    Not being smart, but why is that? I would think they are similar? I have not drove a prime.
     
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  17. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    Toyota simply doesn't send the Prime or encourage their dealers in non-carb/ZEV states to carry them.
    I have met a number of people in MN with a prime who got them out of state. A few dealers have made 'swaps' with dealers in other states to get them.

    Why this is the case is largely speculation.
    To me, it seems Toyota primarily sells the Prime in the USA to get ZEV credits.
    Thus, why put effort into selling the Prime in states that don't get you any ZEV credits?

    I'm hoping Toyota will ramp up production of the RAV4 Prime as that should sell well across the country.
     
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  18. Valiant V

    Valiant V Member

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    Frankly, here in the USA, we're spoiled by low gasoline prices and have been for as long as I can remember. Which is why cars in Europe - where fuel has always been much higher - get SO much better gas mileage than US cars.

    I took a trip to the UK two years ago and rented a Skoda that got 60+ MPG - full ICE, no hybrid, just a small, efficient engine with stop/start. Car was very roomy and pretty quiet with a lot of great features. I don't think the cars in the USA that got the very best mileage could touch that. Maybe 50 mpg on a Civic?

    The 95 octane to run the Skoda cost 1.95 Euro per litre. That was about $2.53 USD per litre or about $10 US a gallon.

    People here in the US scream bloody murder when "Regular unleaded" (87 octane) gas hits $4 a gallon.

    The "Super" unleaded you can get in the States is about 93 octane and costs about $3.50 a gallon. (YMMV - varies wildly with state and region)
     
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  19. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    The issue is that Americans won't tolerate a "slow" car. I think the Prius is about as slow as you get.

    The general non-car person might get swayed by all the car reviewers (especially the ones reviewing electric cars now). Anything in the 10 second range for 0-60 is "slow as molasses" in their minds. For EVs, anything in the 6-7 second range is slow :rolleyes: cause apparently we all need 400hp EVs that do 0-60 in 5 seconds.

    Anyway, my point is that the higher mpg cars (diesel engine notwithstanding) are a result of smaller engines that are adequate for the vehicle. The issue is not just perception but also American roads are different from European roads - there are more wide open spaces and interstate travel that may require an owner to have more power for merging or passing. Also, America is a large country and as a manufacturer, you have to account for someone driving in SF or NY as well as Fairbanks or St. Louis. Kinda hard to have a car that's good in the city as well as in the country.

    I recall sitting at TMNA when us Prius Expert had a discussion about the upcoming Prius c. We asked if 60mpg was possible. They said yes but that would mean 0-60 times of 13 seconds. The production version of the Prius c ended up a bit faster (11 seconds) and lower mpg.
     
  20. Mambo Dave

    Mambo Dave Active Member

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    I just had a client pull up in a 2008 Prius, lol. I showed them my 2019. All of us are happy with the fuel savings. He bought his for $1,400(!).
     
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